This invention relates to electrical connectors and contacts therefor and in particular to a high density electrical connector and receptacle contact having a tapered fixed beam wherein the contact is adapted to be received and secured in the high density connector.
As printed circuit board components are downsized, the area on printed circuit boards allocated to connectors is also decreased. As the smaller area is utilized, the density of contacts in connectors is increased with restrictions also imposed on the height connectors extend above the printed circuit board on which they are mounted. The restriction in height minimizes the stacking height of connectors and thus minimizes the spacing between adjacent printed circuit boards.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,629 a receptacle contact in which the base of a U-shaped channel section has been blanked out at a plurality of points along its length so as to leave in the sidewalls only opposed pairs of bridging straps which are bowed with a smooth continuous curvature inwardly towards each other to a spacing at least less than a thickness of a blade to be received therebetween.